The Ward 8 Council by-election began Thursday, and two candidates registered on Day One.
Robert Cooper, a long-time provincial Conservative Party member and Hamilton Mountain riding association executive, was first out of the gate.
Minutes later, Sonia Brown was the second candidate to register. Brown was the 2022 runner-up, placing second to incumbent John-Paul Danko. Brown won 1,936 votes compared to Danko’s 5,274.
Cooper managed Brown’s 2022 campaign and was her largest single donor.
He says, “All qualified candidates can run for city council. I do know Sonia and wish her well.”
Brown says Cooper “educated me on running in municipal and provincial elections. Rob has helped many people get elected over the years.”
The by-election will elect a new Ward 8 councillor to sit on Hamilton City Council. The vacancy was created by John-Paul Danko’s election as Member of Parliament for Hamilton West – Ancaster – Dundas in the April federal election.
Robert Cooper: Why He Is Running and His Top Issues
Cooper is running as “a proud resident of Ward 8 who believes it’s time to do things differently” and says he is “ready to act” on issues.
Asked what experience or background makes him the best choice for Ward 8 residents, Cooper responded that he brings “real-world leadership to the table — not just talk,” having served “in executive roles for major institutions, tackled billion-dollar budgets, and led initiatives that made real impact.”
His top two priorities are tackling violent crime and road infrastructure. He noted the recent shootings and deaths of innocent bystanders in his neighbourhood, including the April 17 murder of Harsimrat Randhawa, who was killed by a stray bullet while waiting for a bus on Upper James.
Cooper has been the president of the Hamilton Mountain Progressive Conservative riding association. He frequently writes letters regarding a range of issues.
Asked if he is presently a member of the riding executive or a political party, he responded, “I am not running municipally as a member of a political party. I don’t believe party politics belong at city hall.”
Candidates are required to submit 25 signatures endorsing their candidacies. Cooper’s endorsements include Ward 8 and 14 Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board Trustee Becky Buck.
Sonia Brown: Why She Is Running and Her Top Issues
Brown is running because “I’m passionate about our city and Ward 8. Change needs to happen in our city.”
Asked what experience or background makes her the best choice for Ward 8 residents, she responded, citing her knowledge and experience in housing.
“This is what I do for a living — help the most vulnerable population in the way of housing,” she says. “I saw this trend happening in 2022 because the calls were increasing, and the type of clients that needed help were becoming more complex.”
Brown’s top two priorities are housing and infrastructure, saying the city is spending “frivolously” and not listening to the public on issues.
“They have had many community events/town hall meetings where they gathered information from the public. From what I’m seeing and hearing, the city has not put the information gathered to use.”
Brown was to be the Hamilton Mountain riding association’s candidate in the recent provincial election, but the central party appointed Monica Ciriello.
Election Day Is September 22; Nominations Open Until August 8
Election day will be September 22. Polls will be open between 10 a.m. and 8 p.m.
Advance polls will be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on September 20 and 21.
Council will decide in July whether mailing or online voting will be permitted.
More information regarding the by-election is available on the City of Hamilton website.
Production Details
v. 1.0.0
Published: June 20, 2025
Last updated: June 20, 2025
Author: Joey Coleman
Update Record
v. 1.0.0 original version
There should be public consultations before online voting is introduced. Most or all published cybersecurity experts say that online voting is hackable and the results are not transparent. It also privatizes our elections, with the CEO of the company with the online voting contract having huge potential political power. In the Ward 4 byelection, voter data was stored on servers of AWS Canada, which is controlled by the US billionaire Jeff Bezos, an ally of Donald Trump. The governments of Canada, Ontario, Toronto and Ottawa do not trust online voting. If Hamilton takes a different path, it should only be after public consultations.